An upset of arch-rival Waterville-Elysian-Morristown already made it a successful tournament run for the NRHEG High School baseball teams but, like all good things, it had to come to an end.
The Panthers’ season concluded last week in the sub-section tournament with a pair of losses, 8-2 at Waseca on Wednesday, May 27 and 4-1 the next day at Tri-City United.
The Panthers, 5-7 in conference play this year, finished 7-13 overall under first-year head coach Drew Paukert.
Waseca 8, NRHEG 2
The Bluejays took an early lead on a fielding error and it stood 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth inning, when they broke it open with four runs before an estimated 1,000-plus people at Tink Larson Field. The home team added two in the fifth and one in the sixth before the Panthers got on the scoreboard with two in the top of the seventh.
Sophomore Eric Maas pitched a complete game for Waseca, striking out 11 while scattering six hits.NRHEG had runners in scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings but was not able to produce the key hit. Maas worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.
The Panthers’ Palmer Peterson was 2-for-3. Adding one hit each were Cole Staloch, Grant Kyllo and Matt Jensen. Jet Wayne had an RBI.
Trevor Tracy started and took the pitching loss, allowing four earned runs on three hits, with no strikeouts and one walk. Dempsey Tucker and Matt Jensen pitched in relief.
TCU 4, NRHEG 1
It was a pitcher’s duel at Montgomery.
Jensen started for NRHEG and allowed only one earned run through five innings.
TCU’s center fielder made a tremendous triple-saving diving catch in the fifth that robbed the Panthers of a run.
TCU took a 4-0 lead in the sixth.
The Panthers’ lone run came in the top of the seventh.
Jensen was 2-for-3 with two doubles. Kyllo and C.J. Schiltz were both 2-for-3. Peterson had one hit.
The Panthers graduate seven seniors in Kyllo, Wayne, Jensen, Tracy, Andy Shutrop, Dakota Thiele and Spencer Tollefson.